Antifriction-bearing.



A. F. ROCKWELL.

ANTIFRIGTION BEARING.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 10, 1906.

Patented. May 11 1909.

Warren s'riigps OFFIOE;

ALBERT, F. ROCKWELL, or BRISTOL, CONNECTICUT, AssiGNoR To THE NEWhErARg TUBE MANUFACTURING ooiirANY, 0F BRISTOL, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

ANT'iFRIoTIoN-BEARING;

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed my 10, 1906. Serial No. 316,166.

Patented may 11 ,"1'909. I

such as will enable others skilled" in the art towhich it appertains to make and use the 1 same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to anti-friction bearings and is particularly applicable to such bearings of the self-contained type, 'i. e., those which can be manufactured and shipped as a complete, assembled article and can then be placed in position (e. 9., between a wheel and its axle) without disturbance of the parts of which the bearing itself is composed.

In ananti-friction hearing it is highly im .portantthatthe cone member and the cup member have'no play or wabbling motion with respect to each other, for if such motion exists the wheel or other device provided with the bearing will not run true and many well known disadvantageous results follow. One object of the present invention is to provide a bearing in which the cone member and cup member are firmly held with respect to each other so that theabove mentioned undesirable play or wabbling is avoided while at the same time the friction between the cone-member and cup member is reduced to the minimum or entirely eliminated to permit free and easy running movement between the devices provided with thel'be-art further object is to provide abearing having the very advantageous features just above recited, the bearing being of such character that the said desired features can be secured even though the separate elements of the hearing may not be perfectly accuratelyformed, thus making possible the inexpensive production of a bearing having its ele ments properly adjusted to give the before mentioned rigidity and easy running.

A further object is to provide a simple, strong and efficient spacer forthe anti-friction members.

To these ends. and also to improve ge n In the accompanying drawings: Figure; 1' 1s a cross sectional view through the preferred embodiment of my invention; Fig. -2 is'a simi lar view illustrating a modification; "Fig. 3 shows the-spacer in side elevation; Fig. 4 Isafragmentary, interior-view of the s aeer; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view of t e 'spacen looking in the direction of the arrow 5'of Figl.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, and at this time to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 1

thereof, It) represents the cone member of the bearing, the parts 20 and 21 with their connecting casing 24 constitute the cupmember thereof, and the anti-friction elements received between and cooperating with said cone'and cup members are "indie cated by the balls .14 and 15; I In the embodiinent here shown the cone member consistsof a cylindrical sleeve adapted'tojibe secured in a well understood manner to a shaft 11' or other appropriate device to which the bearing is to beapplied, said sleeve-having two parallel, peripheral,- annular race-ways 12 and 13 produced by grooves curved in cross-section and struck uoo n radius greater than the radius of the balls'l l and 15 which are received in said race-ways The cup elements 20 and 21, are preferably similar-to each other, and,- in that embodiment of the invention nowunder consideration, each of 'tlienrisa ring having a race'-' We upon its inner side, these race-ways am 23 being here shown as curved'and suoli curves havin a radius greaterthan' the ra dius of the ha is. Thus'each ball finds a seat at one point upon a cone race-way and at another point upon the race way' of the cooperating cup, and the cups are so placed with relation to the cone member that the line including the two said points of'bearing of any ball is oblique to'the radial line'of the complete bearing- (said radial line being-the ,verticalaxi's as the bearingis illustrated in Fig. 1), whereby the. bearing is, in a Wollonderstood manner, capable of withstandin end thrusts as well as radial load; The'sai on i rings 20 and .21 are spaced from each other for 'a purpose to 'bchereinafter explained.

I am aware that I am not the first to de' vise a ball-bearing includin" a central sleeve having parallel, periphera annular race ways, cup-rings cooperating with said racewags, and balls between said respective cups an t i radial load are provided for.

tion '(liflerentiates from these previous struc-v tures the features which, as will be more fully hereinafter explained, make it possible to produce my bearing ata sufficiently low cost to make It a commercial article and yet enable the bearing to have the' above mentioned necessary rigidity between the cone 'member'an d the cup member together with the equally essential free running of saidmembers with respect to each other,

In my structure, at least one of the before mentioned cups, (20 and 21) can, under final, position), said cup stricted by threads or other, o upon the casing, sliding as much or as little 4o proper endw isepressure, freely slide into the casing 24before mentioned, there being no threads or other elements to interfere with such free sliding. Therefore, when assembling the bearing (all of the parts except one of the cups (6. g. 21.) being in approximately toward-its row of balls and when it meets such balls the'latter in turn press against the sleeve 10,'forcing the sleeveagainst the second set-of balls 14 and thus forcing said balls against the race-way of the cup 20. The cup being in final casing 24, the

u on the race-ways 22 and12, eventhough t e parts may not have been quite accurately lflsuitable means for spacing the anti-friction ground, and such ressure also causes the alls 15 to proper y seat themselves upon their race-ways 13. and 23,:the' 011821, unrestructions and adjusting as necessary in the xcasinlga s15: -Tl 1ecup'2O itself .to its seat'upon'the'b being held in posltion' by the casing flange 25 V and. the fianfge 26 beingproduced at the op:

' cial, machine work), the above-mentioned 'posite endo madjusted positionsi "Thus, even when the balls and their race-ways are not quite accuratel ground (and absolutely accurate gn'n g is practically unknown in commer free sliding' ermitted between atleast' one of the on s an the casing enables the said cups as we] as the balls and the cone member to so adjust themselves in the assemblin of the bearin that, each set of balls is firm y seated upon t e cone member 10; and is also firmly seated upon" the cups 20 and 21 of the cup member. The casing serving to hold the elements of the cup member together as a 1 single piece and the cone member being, in

the illustrated construction, a single piece,

- eachpf said cone and cup members has its positlon determined bythe two points at which each engages the balls in any line, so that the before mentioned desired and highly essential rigidity between thecone and cup Nevertheless, each 21 can be pressed the casing, the parts are locked 'between'the cups 120 and21.

members is secured in a practical, inexpens1ve and efficient manner and play between the cone and cup) members is avoided.

cup) so that free running movement between the cone member and the cup member is secured. It is very advantageous that the casing should be bendable at that end which is to hold the cup upon which pressure is applied in the above mentioned illustration 01'' ll has only a two point. bearing (one on the cone andthe other on the assembling and adjusting (i. e., the end which produces the flange 26 as mentioned in said lustration), for under such conditions the said flange 26 canbe produced by spinning so the end of the casing over the edge of the cup 21'. .ThlS SPlI1I1lI1% the cup 21 mwar plied successively throughout the whole circle of the 011 but it also simultaneously'pro- 'duces the ho ding flange 26 so that as the cup not only serves to press y with even'pressure ap:

21 is advanced into its adjusted position it IS also properly held in such position.

,In' the modified structure illustrated in is that previously described and the various Fig. 2 the general arrangement of the bearing elements are similar to those illustrated in Fig. 1 except that the sleeve IOF-is somewhat' 10 can be'received between theelo'ngated face webs of the cups 20 and 21, the racew'ays 1'2 and 13 being openupon their outer sides as shown.

shorter than the sleeve 10, so that said sleeve 'The bearing is preferably-providedwith I members, such-means herein shown being thespacer 16. The s acer hereillustrated consists of a ring whic is angular in crosssection, the'wings 17 and is of said ring at t 1 05 verging from each other and toward the balls; Each wing-has recesses or pockets 19 in its free orou'ter edge to receive the balls I and hold the latter properly spaced. Eachwing receives one series of balls so that said spacer. is wholly supported upon said balls, whereby all friction between said spacer and any other portion of the bearing is e minated.

The-fact that the wings17 and 18 diverge" from each other and are angularly-rdisppsed gives the spacers shape approidmating an arch, whereby the spacer 1S given ample strength to Withstand strains, and such shape also 7 be-receive and to run" reely in-the'space Preferably, as shown in Fig. 5, each ballreceiving recess 19 of the separator is greater (permits the angle of the'spacer to than a semi-circle so that the recess presents I afinger at each side of each ball, such finger extending beyond the diameter of the ball,

as shown-in Fi 1, and curving inwardly toward the bal beyond such diameter,

Thus, the separator is prevented from mov- I ing outward y radially with respect to its proper assembled. position. Furthermore,

separator is, as shown in Letters Patent is:

1 balls between each set or" said running movement between the cone and substantially as described. r

thepoint of contact between a ball andthe Fig. 1, about half Way between the top and bottom bearing points of the ball, so that the said point of contact is in the axis of rotationoi' the ball and any friction between a ball and the separator is reduced to the minimum.

Thus, in' my hearing efiicient means are Iprovided for spacing the anti-friction Inem ers, and it is possible to inexpensively produce, even from elements not perfectly accurately ground, a self-contained bearing having both the desired rigidity and free cupImembers.

avmg thus described my invention, What I clalm as new and desire to secure by 1. A ball-bearing comprising a cone menu her having two parallel ball-races. two hall cups spaced from each other and each provided with a ball-race cooperating with 011 of said first mentioned ball-races, a series oi coope 'ating' ball-races, the balls of each series l'raving a one-point bearing upon each of the races in which so 3h balls are received an d the bearing;

verge rouard oppo the annu us in position points upon cooperating races being in a line oblique to the radial line or" the hearing as a Whole, acasing receiving said hall'cups and free from obstructions to the l'ree sliding oi one of said cups upon said casing toward the other said cup, said casing; haiing a bendable i portion which overlaps the edge of said ircely i slidable cup, and means for holding the other said c-up against movement upon said casing;

I 2. An anti-Friction bearing; comprising a (one member ha; Ing ru'o parallel races two cu s spaced from each other and each proviced with a race cooperating" with one or" said first mentioned races 'a series of antifriction devices between each set of said cooperating races, a casing receiving said cups and free from obstructions to the tree sliding of one of said cups upon said casing toward the other said cup, said casing having a bend ableportion which overlaps the edge of said freely slidable cup, and means for holding the other said cup against movement upon l said casing; substantially as described. I

3. A ball-bearing comprising a cone mem- 9 her having two parallel ball-races, two ball r cups spaced from each other and each proof said first in vioncd l :r.il-i'arj-e. i, a seric'" halls l'wvree'rr ca r set ol said co'rperalirr ball-races, rhe haw of each series having a o uepoinr: bcarin; upon which such halls are received and the bearing points upon cooperali races being" in a. line oblique ro the radial line of the hearing as a Whole, a casing recei said hall-cr=ps and free from ohsrrrz 'tions to the tree siidiuig of one oi said cups roorr said casing rou'ard [he other-said cup,. d casirrgrhavinu a hcrrdable portion v-xhich r 'rcrlaps rlre edge. ol' said freely slidalilc cup, means for h lding r. other said cup agains" rriovcnrenr u i casing; and a spacer air having an :far!

of'said arirrruius arid edges wirh pockets cach'ol said porircrs semi-circle lurch-r which: cvterrd he: i a r ha fs and curve toward said lire to retain roslirr:

upon each ha l in rotation oi the bra;

scribed.

iii

aids, ur rr rrrcni's in an and en e .i 'HHIL midway tween the top and or of each hall, intermediate portion or the spaccrw dcndi outwardly tron; said hails and interposed h tween the spaced cup elcrrrenls: srrl staurially as described.

5. A spacer f r anti-friction ureinl spacer corrrprisin an annulus nccted and angurarly disposed 7 diverge toward 0 'riosire sides; or" the diameter ol' said annulus l are provided 1 porker's for receiving the anti-friction rn arhcrs: substantially as d scribed in testirrrony .Ther signature. in. the pl'b: ,n. r

rcrs, said having; conu'mc's which ALBEQR Witnesses Josnrn D. Bnov'r CLARA H. Vooanna each of the races in.

gill 

